The Spice is Right #4

I decided to stoke those chilli flames with a powerhouse paste that's a fundamental component of North African cuisine - that paste is Harissa.

Harissa is used as both an ingredient and a condiment but beware, it must be used to taste as it is incredibly hot - a small amount will go a long way. Harissa is basically a paste made from dried chillies, garlic, cumin, caraway and tomato and this recipe comes from a favourite Australian Chef, Christine Manfield.

Chop the chillies and place in a bowl. covered with water and let it sit for at least 2 hours. Drain, but reserve the water.

Dry-roast the cumin seeds over a low heat until fragrant. Let them cool, before grinding them to a fine powder, with the caraway seeds.

Place the chillies, garlic and 100mls of the reserved soaking water in a food processor and process until smooth. Add spices, salt and tomato purée and process again. With the motor running, slowly pour in the oil and blend until the paste is smooth.

Spoon into sterilised jars, cover with a film of oil and seal. Keeps refrigerated for up to 1 month.

This deserves some serious praise! The color of the Harissa is so vivid! your photography is wonderful- i absolutely adore the way you shot the Harissa. Using the red and orange background and the white spoon-GENIUS! I don't know where or how you took these shots but they are simply magnificent! BRAVO! :)